Shoe sole cleaning device

ABSTRACT

A shoe sole cleaning device may include a fluid reservoir capsule having an inner chamber for containing a cleaning solution. The shoe cleaning device may also include a trough and a fluid pump operably connected to a fluid exit port of the fluid reservoir capsule to pump the cleaning solution from the fluid exit port to the trough. A brush may be disposed partially within the trough such that some of its bristles are at least partially submersible in the cleaning solution in the trough. A motor may cause the brush to rotate about an axial shaft picking up the cleaning solution from the trough to clean a shoe&#39;s sole. A fluid recycle conduit may transport the cleaning solution from the trough back to the inner chamber of the fluid reservoir capsule when the cleaning solution in the trough reaches a predetermined height.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of shoe solecleaning devices.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Entry way floor mats are commonly used to help people clean the soles oftheir shoes before entering a home or office.

Most floor mats employ a fibrous material that reaches into the crevicesof a shoe sole. The person wearing the shoes rubs the soles across themat to remove excess dirt. These mats, however, do not effectivelyremove accumulated grease, microbial dirt particles, etc.

Over the years, the field of shoe sole cleaning devices has evolved toaddress the problem of more completely and effectively cleaning thebottom of a person's shoe before entering a home or office. Prior artshoe sole cleaning devices, however, continue to have significantproblems.

An entry mat that, for example, includes a brush that reciprocates orrotates would be a more effective way of cleaning the soles of aperson's shoes. Attempting to remove germs, grease, and dirt from shoesoles by using a dry brush, however, is not very effective.

The entry mat may be further improved by applying a liquid to the mat orthe soles themselves to assist with cleaning. A problem with thisapproach, however, is that once the soles have been cleaned, the solesremain wet. Entering a home or office with wet shoes may be preferableto dirty shoes but still unacceptable. A second, dry, mat may beprovided for drying the shoes, but this approach requires additionalfloor space and an additional step in the cleaning process. An air dryermay be provided instead, but this approach adds complexity and cost tothe device.

Another problem with applying liquid to the soles is that it isinconvenient for a person to manually apply the liquid. Some kind ofautomated liquid application may be devised. This approach, however,still requires an additional, drying mat or an air dryer. And, moreover,it requires frequent refilling of the reservoir containing the liquid,which is inconvenient and could be expensive.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention disclosed herein provides a shoe sole cleaning deviceincluding a brush that rotates partially inside a trough. The trough maybe filled with a cleaning solution including, for example, an antisepticor other solution to assist with cleaning of the sole. As discussedabove, however, including a cleaning solution as part of the shoe solecleaning requires too frequent refilling of the reservoir containing theliquid and results in wet soles that require an additional drying mat oran air dryer.

The invention disclosed herein addresses the first problem, too frequentrefilling, by providing for recycling of the cleaning solution, whichwould increase the time period between required refilling of thecleaning solution reservoir.

The invention disclosed herein addresses the second problem, wet soles,by allowing for a cleaning solution that may include a drying agent(e.g., surfactant, alcohol, citric acid, etc.) to assist in rapid dryingof the soles after cleaning. Adding the drying agent could obviate theneed to have a drying mat or air dryer.

Including the drying agent in the cleaning solution by itself wouldfurther exacerbate the refilling problem because the cleaning solutionincluding the drying agent will tend to evaporate significantly morerapidly than cleaning solution without a drying agent. This would alsobe true of cleaning solutions including solvents and/or disinfectantsand other compounds that evaporate relatively easily even without adiscrete drying agent added. Therefore, the present invention provides asystem that is very carefully designed to, not just recycle the cleaningsolution, but also to significantly reduce leaking and evaporation ofthe cleaning solution. This results in significantly increased timeperiods between refilling of the cleaning solution reservoir.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate various example systems, methods,and so on, that illustrate various example embodiments of aspects of theinvention. It will be appreciated that the illustrated elementboundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in thefigures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skillin the art will appreciate that one element may be designed as multipleelements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. Anelement shown as an internal component of another element may beimplemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore,elements may not be drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary shoe sole cleaningdevice.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the shoe sole cleaning devicewith its top housing removed.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of the shoe sole cleaning device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary shoe sole cleaning device 1. In theillustrated embodiment, a housing cover 2 and a base plate 8 of thedevice 1 enclose a mechanism that causes a cylindrically shaped cleaningbrush 4 to rotate when a user presses on one of the switches 12, 14(shown in dotted line in FIG. 1), which may be momentary foot-operatedswitches. In one embodiment, the device 1 includes an on/off switch (notshown) instead of or in addition to the switches 12, 14 to activate thedevice.

The device 1 may include an absorbent mat 10. The switches 12, 14 may belocated within or under the mat 10. The absorbent mat 10 may be made of,for example, highly moisture-absorbent polyester material to quickly andefficiently remove excess moisture from the user's shoe soles. Theabsorbent mat 10 alternatively may be made of highly moisture absorbentmaterials other than polyester. In some embodiments, the device 1 maynot include the absorbent mat 10 or the switches 12, 14.

The shoe sole cleaning device 1 may also include a support post 16 thata user may hold on to with one hand while using the device 1 to cleanthe sole of a first shoe. The support post 16 may be from two to fivefeet long and vertically oriented as shown. A user may hold on to thepost 16, press one of the switches 12, 14 with one shoe and bring thesole of the other shoe into contact with the brush 4 to be cleaned. Oncethe first shoe's sole is clean, the user may repeat the procedure withthe other shoe sole.

The housing cover 2 may be removed as needed to refill cleaning solutionto a fluid reservoir 54 as shown in FIG. 2. A slot or window 6 on theside of the housing cover 2 may be used to show how much cleaningsolution is left in the fluid reservoir 54 so that the solution can bereplaced as needed. The fluid reservoir 54 may be fabricated from, forexample, a transparent or semitransparent material so that the amount offluid left in the fluid reservoir 54 may be observed through the slot orwindow 6.

FIG. 2 illustrates the exemplary shoe sole cleaning device 1 with thehousing cover 2 removed.

The device 1 may include the fluid reservoir capsule 54 which has aninner chamber for containing the cleaning solution, a fluid exit port66, and a fluid recycle port 56. The device 1 may also include a trough34, which may be molded into or independent from reservoir capsule 54. Arim 50 of the trough 34 may be raised to help keep the cleaning solutionfrom exiting the trough 34 in unwanted areas.

The device 1 may also include a fluid pump 26 which is operablyconnected to the fluid exit port 66 of the fluid reservoir capsule 54via hose 32. The pump 26 draws cleaning solution from the fluid exitport 66 of the fluid reservoir capsule 54 via the hose 32 and deliversthe cleaning fluid to the trough 34 via a tube 28.

The device 1 may also include the brush 4, which is disposed partiallywithin the trough 34 such that some of the bristles are at leastpartially submersible in the cleaning solution in the trough 34. Thedevice 1 may also include a motor 30 for rotating the brush 4 about itslongitudinal axis.

In the illustrated embodiment, the brush 4 is mounted in a horizontalposition above and within the trough 34. Brush 4 is held on one side byshaft 48 and on the other side by shaft 36 supported by bearing 64 andbearing support bracket 40. Motor 30 is captured by retaining bracket24. The close proximity of the bristles of the brush 4 and thesemi-cylindrical contour of the trough 34 causes the cleaning solutionto coat a substantial portion of the brush 4, thereby delivering anadequate amount of the cleaning solution to the sole of the user's shoeas the brush 4 brushes the sole clean.

The device 1 may also include a fluid recycle conduit 46, which has aninflow end 46 a adjacent to or below the rim 50 of the trough 34 and anoutflow end 46 b adjacent the fluid recycle port 56 of the fluidreservoir capsule 54. The fluid recycle conduit 46 transports thecleaning solution from the trough 34 to the fluid recycle port 56 whenthe cleaning solution in the trough 34 reaches a predetermined height.

In the illustrated embodiment, the device 1 also includes a filter 22 tofilter solids from the cleaning solution transported from the trough 34to the fluid reservoir capsule 54. The filter 22 catches dirt and otherparticles and prevents them from entering the fluid reservoir capsule54. The filter 22 may be shaped to fit within the fluid recycle port 56.The filter 22 may be removable to be cleaned or replaced as needed. Thefilter 22 may also be removed to refill the fluid reservoir capsule 54with cleaning solution through the fluid recycle port 56.

The device 1 may also include a battery compartment 20, which mayinclude a cap 18 that can be removed to replace the batteries. Thebattery compartment 20 holds batteries that provide power to the fluidpump 26 and the motor 30 upon actuation of one or more of the switches12, 14. Alternately, the user can plug in an AC to DC transformer topower the present invention by standard 120 VAC power from a wallsocket.

The device 1 may also include a threaded post receiver 42 to which theuser may attach the support post 16 if desired.

The fluid reservoir capsule 54 and brush/motor assembly as well as thebattery compartment 20 are mounted on base plate 8. Thus, the housingcover 2 and the base plate 8 form a housing that houses the fluidreservoir 54, the trough 34, the fluid pump 26, at least a portion ofthe brush 4, the motor 30, the fluid recycle conduit 46, and the batterycompartment 20 thereby making the shoe sole cleaning device 1 portable.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of the exemplary portable shoe solecleaning device 1.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the filter 22 is removable upon removal ofthe housing cover 2 so that the filter 22 may be cleaned or replaced.The housing cover 2 has an aperture 62 through which support post 16 maybe inserted and secured to threaded post receiver 42. The housing cover2 also has a main rectangular aperture 52 through which a portion of thebrush 4 protrudes to allow the brush's bristles to engage the sole ofthe shoe being cleaned.

Electrical switches 12, 14 may be connected to the electrical circuitincluding the pump, 26, motor 30, and batteries by the cables 68, 70,which may be positioned within or under the absorbent mat 10 as shown inFIG. 1.

As may be appreciated from FIG. 3, fluid reservoir 54 is a capsule witha minimum number of openings (ports 66 and 56) to access its innerchamber, which reduces the amount of leakage and evaporation of thecleaning solution from the inner chamber. Fluid reservoir capsule 54 maybe made of blow molded plastic and includes the fluid recycle port 56for filling the capsule 54 with cleaning solution and the fluid exitport 66 that receives the hose 32. The fluid recycle conduit 46 hasinflow end 46 a adjacent to or below the rim 50 of the trough 34 and anoutflow end 46 b adjacent the fluid recycle port 56 of the fluidreservoir capsule 54.

In the illustrated embodiment, the trough 34 and the fluid recycleconduit 46 are formed on an upper wall of the fluid reservoir capsule 54and thus are integral with the fluid reservoir capsule 54. The fluidrecycle conduit 46 declines from the inflow end 46 a to the outflow end46 b so as to transport (gravity-assisted) the cleaning solution fromthe trough 34 to the fluid recycle port 56 when the cleaning solution inthe trough 34 reaches a predetermined height. The predetermined heightof the cleaning solution in the trough 34 is determined by the meetingpoint of the trough 34 and the inflow end 46 a of the fluid recycleconduit 46. In the illustrated embodiment, the inflow end 46 a of thefluid recycle conduit 46 connects to the trough 34 at a break in the rim50 of the trough 34. The outflow end 46 b of the fluid recycle conduit46 connects to the fluid recycle port 56 of the fluid reservoir capsule54 at a break in a rim 57 of the fluid recycle port 56. In otherembodiments, the conduit 46 is pump-assisted instead of or in additionto gravity-assisted.

The device 1 may also include a one way valve 58 operably connected tothe fluid reservoir 54 at the fluid recycle port 56. The one way valve58 allows cleaning solution to enter the inner chamber of the fluidreservoir capsule 54 via the fluid recycle port 56 but prevents cleaningsolution from exiting the inner chamber of the fluid reservoir capsule54 through the fluid recycle port 56. The one way valve 58 prevents bothleakage and, perhaps more important, evaporation of the cleaningsolution from the inner chamber of the fluid reservoir capsule 54through the fluid recycle port 56.

In other embodiments, the one way valve 58 may be disposed adjacent orwithin the fluid reservoir capsule 54 or the fluid recycle conduit 46.The one way valve 58 may take the form of a flapper as shown in FIG. 3or the form of other known one way valves.

Regarding the other opening of the in the reservoir capsule 54, thefluid exit port 66, the hose 32 and the fluid pump 26 effectivelyminimize leakage and evaporation of the cleaning solution from the innerchamber of the fluid reservoir capsule 54 through the fluid exit port66.

The invention disclosed herein addresses the problems of wet soles aftercleaning or needing an additional drying step (by mat or air dryer) byproviding a device that deals well with a cleaning solution including adrying agent (e.g., surfactant, alcohol, citric acid, etc.) to assist inrapid drying of the soles after cleaning. Adding the drying agent shouldobviate the need to have a drying mat or an air dryer.

The invention disclosed herein greatly reduces the frequency ofrefilling the cleaning solution reservoir and allows for a drying agentto be used in the cleaning solution by providing for a) recycling of thecleaning solution, b) a capsule reservoir 54 that has a minimum numberof openings (ports 66 and 56) to access its inner chamber reducing theamount of leakage and evaporation of the cleaning solution from theinner chamber, and c) effective seals for those openings furtherreducing the amount of leakage and evaporation of the cleaning solutionfrom the inner chamber.

While example systems, methods, and so on, have been illustrated bydescribing examples, and while the examples have been described inconsiderable detail, it is not the intention to restrict or in any waylimit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. It is, of course,not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components ormethodologies for purposes of describing the systems, methods, and soon, described herein. Additional advantages and modifications willreadily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention isnot limited to the specific details, and illustrative examples shown ordescribed. Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations,modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appendedclaims. Furthermore, the preceding description is not meant to limit thescope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is to bedetermined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

To the extent that the terms “in” or “into” are used in thespecification or the claims, it is intended to additionally mean “on” or“onto.” Furthermore, to the extent the term “connect” is used in thespecification or claims, it is intended to mean not only “directlyconnected to,” but also “indirectly connected to” such as connectedthrough another component or components. An “operable connection,” or aconnection by which entities are “operably connected,” is one by whichthe operably connected entities or the operable connection perform itsintended purpose. For example, two entities may be operably connected toeach other directly or through one or more intermediate entities.

To the extent that the term “includes” or “including” is employed in thedetailed description or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in amanner similar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted whenemployed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, to the extentthat the term “or” is employed in the detailed description or claims(e.g., A or B) it is intended to mean “A or B or both”. When theapplicants intend to indicate “only A or B but not both” then the term“only A or B but not both” will be employed. Thus, use of the term “or”herein is the inclusive, and not the exclusive use. See, Bryan A.Garner, A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage 624 (3D. Ed. 1995).

What is claimed is:
 1. A shoe sole cleaning device comprising: a fluidreservoir capsule having an inner chamber for containing a cleaningsolution, a fluid exit port and a fluid recycle port; a trough having arim; a fluid pump operably connected to the fluid exit port of the fluidreservoir capsule and configured to pump the cleaning solution from thefluid exit port of the fluid reservoir capsule to the trough; a brushhaving bristles and operably connected to an axial shaft, the brushdisposed partially within the trough such that some of the bristles areat least partially submersible in the cleaning solution in the trough; amotor operably connected to the axial shaft and configured to cause thebrush to rotate about the axial shaft; a fluid recycle conduit having aninflow end adjacent to or below the rim of the trough and an outflow endadjacent the fluid recycle port of the fluid reservoir capsule, andconfigured to transport the cleaning solution from the trough to thefluid recycle port when the cleaning solution in the trough reaches apredetermined height.
 2. The shoe sole cleaning device of claim 1,wherein the trough is formed on an upper wall of the fluid reservoircapsule.
 3. The shoe sole cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the troughand the fluid recycle conduit are formed on an upper wall of [integralwith] the fluid reservoir capsule.
 4. The shoe sole cleaning device ofclaim 1, wherein the trough and the fluid recycle conduit are formed onan upper wall of the fluid reservoir capsule, the inflow end of thefluid recycle conduit connecting to the trough at a break in the rim ofthe trough and the outflow end of the fluid recycle conduit connectingto the fluid recycle port of the fluid reservoir capsule at a break in arim of the fluid recycle port.
 5. The shoe sole cleaning device of claim1, comprising: a replaceable filter shaped to fit within the fluidrecycle port to filter solids from the cleaning solution transportedfrom the trough to the fluid reservoir capsule.
 6. The shoe solecleaning device of claim 1, comprising: a one way valve disposedadjacent or within the fluid reservoir capsule or the fluid recycleconduit to allow the cleaning solution to enter the inner chamber of thefluid reservoir capsule via the fluid recycle port and prevent thecleaning solution from exiting the inner chamber of the fluid reservoircapsule through the fluid recycle port.
 7. The shoe sole cleaning deviceof claim 1, comprising: at least one foot switch operably connected tothe fluid pump and the motor, and configured to activate the motor andthe pump upon actuation of the foot switch.
 8. The shoe sole cleaningdevice of claim 1, comprising: a moisture absorbing mat; and at leastone foot switch disposed within or under the moisture absorbing mat, theat least one foot switch operably connected to the fluid pump and themotor and configured to activate the motor and the pump upon actuationof the foot switch.
 9. The shoe sole cleaning device of claim 1,comprising: a battery compartment configured to hold batteries operablyconnectable to the fluid pump and the motor, and configured to providepower to the motor and the pump upon actuation of a switch; a housinghaving housed within the fluid reservoir, the trough, the fluid pump, atleast a portion of the brush, the motor, the fluid recycle conduit, andthe battery compartment thereby making the shoe sole cleaning deviceportable.
 10. The shoe sole cleaning device of claim 1, comprising: atwo to five feet long vertically oriented user support post operablyattached to a base of the shoe sole cleaning device.
 11. A fluidreservoir capsule for a shoe sole cleaning device, the fluid reservoircapsule having formed therein: an inner chamber for containing acleaning solution, a fluid exit port, and a fluid recycle port; asemi-cylindrically-shaped trough; and a fluid recycle conduit having aninflow end adjacent to or below a rim of the semi-cylindrically-shapedtrough and an outflow end adjacent to or below a rim of the fluidrecycle port, the fluid recycle conduit declines from the inflow end tothe outflow end so as to transport the cleaning solution from the troughto the fluid recycle port when the cleaning solution in the troughreaches a predetermined height.